


One Dog Night

by lil_1337



Category: Murdoch Mysteries
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 09:46:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5412215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for smallfandom fest 18<br/>Prompt: Murdoch Mysteries - George - George goes on a walk with Violet (the dog) to clear his head. Things don't go quite as calmly as he planned. (Other characters from the show welcome, but please focus on George.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Dog Night

It had been a long day. One that had started before dawn with the discovery of the mutilated corpse of what had once been a beautiful woman and ended well after sundown when Detective Murdoch’s newest experiment had blown up in his face - quite literally. Fortunately, it had made more of a mess than anything, but that was when Inspector Brackenreid sent us home with a stern warning to not return until it was time for our shift the next day. Detective Murdoch had protested and been reluctant to leave, but I, for one, was ready to go and didn’t have to be told twice. 

The walk home was thankfully brief and Violet, the dog I had acquired not too long ago, was waiting for me as always when I arrived. I have to admit it was nice to come home to someone who was excited to see me even if she is only an animal. I took her for a short walk to do her business and even though she was far from ready to return home we headed back straight away. All I desired was something solid in my stomach and to crawl into a soft, warm, bed where I could sleep the clock around. That was not going to possible, but a man can dream. 

Unfortunately, my mind had other ideas and refused to slow down no matter how sternly I reminded it that we had work tomorrow. After several long minutes of tossing and turning I decided that the best course of action was to get up and take Violet for a long walk like she had wanted. She had been a good girl and maybe a stroll in the bracing winter air would help to calm my thoughts enough that I would be able to rest. 

I dressed quickly, as my room was not nearly as warm as my bed, then hooked Violet's leash to her collar. My landlady has gotten used to the strange hours I often keep and though she does not approve she no longer bothers to come see what is wrong when she hears my tread on the stairs at all hours, assuming instead, that I am off on police business. 

The night had a chill that promised snow sometime before dawn, but the wind had died taking the bite out of the air and turning it into a beautiful scene. If you fond of that sort of thing, of course. Personally, I prefer the warmer days and nights of spring and summer. But as my mother often says, to each their own. Despite the cold Violet was pleased to be out and I let her have her head while I followed behind at a slower pace. We walked for a while like this, Violet running ahead then back to make sure that I was still trailing along behind. She often does this forward and back much like a small child returning to his mother.

Though I was not keeping pace with her I was still walking, trying to unravel the clues from the crime scene earlier in the day. I’d spent hours collecting and noting what seemed to me like so much trash. Bits of paper, string and a lady’s stocking were among the things we found. All seemingly useless in helping to find the man responsible. 

But, Detective Murdoch had requested that I pick up everything and as I have a deep abiding respect for the man as well as a desire to keep my position, I did so. He would not say what he was looking for or perhaps he didn’t know. I’ve seen him find clues in what an ordinary copper, myself included, would have dismissed as nothing. It is a wonder the way he turns his scientific eye to a problem and finds solutions that others cannot or will not see. He solves crimes exceptionally well and that is one of the reasons that I strive to be like him.

Lost in my thoughts as I was I did not realize that Violet had stopped until I was almost upon her. She was sniffing at a pile of snow and whining low in her throat like she did when she’d found something interesting such as a fallen apple or a dead squirrel. As I got closer I noticed something small and red sticking out from the snow. That set my heart pounding and I pulled Violet back away from drift with a sharp, urgent, tug. 

Hoping what I was seeing was nothing more than a mitten or other item of clothing I crept forward so that I could get a better look. Despite my wishes my instincts were telling me there was more here than a simple case of lost and found. Even though the low light from the street lamps did not do much to brighten the night I could now see not only a glove, but the sleeve of what appeared to be a woolen coat. It was drawn back just enough to expose a small strip of pale skin. There was a body buried under the snow and judging from the size of the hand and color of the clothes it was most likely a woman. 

Hailing one of the patrons from the inn across the street I sent him to the station with a message for the night man to wake Detective Murdoch and Doctor Ogden and send them to where I was. Neither would be pleased with having to leave their beds at this late hour, but this would not wait until morning. Valuable clues might already have been lost due to the snow. The more time that passed the more difficult it would be to reconstruct what had happened.

Praising Violet for the good dog that she was I moved us to shelter in the doorway of a closed shop as the first flakes of snow began to fall. Once the Detective or someone from the night shift arrived I would take Violet back to the boarding house where I would change into my uniform before returning. I had no doubt that both Detective Murdoch and Doctor Ogden would have questions for me and even though it meant I would have no sleep either I planned to make myself available to answer them.


End file.
